To Dan Singer

[Matt Jaffey <mjaffey2...>]

Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 14:33:00
To: dasinger (at) d(dot)imap(dot)itd(dot)umich(dot)edu
From: Matt Jaffey <mjaffey2 (at) mum(dot)edu>
Subject: Re: Jewish Music List

Dan,

I didn't mean to offend. That note at the end of what I wrote ("Do I detect
a little ethnocentricity...?") was an afterthought anyway, and I should
have left it off, or at least put a smile after it. I did intentionally use
the diminutive "a little" and put a question mark after it to indicate not
to take it completely seriously, and to invite a response. In any case, you
have my apology.

You wrote:
<<I just wanted to share my views and learn more about Jewish music.  I
don't see that happening here.>>

My main intent was to respond to your *apparent* denigration of the art of
klezmer clarinet. Your response on that topic was worthwhile and
clarifying, I thought. And perhaps, by misunderstanding your intent, and
articulating that misunderstanding, I did elicite a response from you that
allowed you to share more of your own views, as well as letting others know
more about you.

I believe the Jewish Music list has already been enriched by your
contributions and hope that you will reconsider and resubscribe.

And in the personal guilt department, I would hate to think that an
intelligent, thoughtful guy like you was chased away by any thoughtless
remarks of my own. I guess I'll have to be more careful in the future
before I press the send button (as Judith suggested).

As for your words:

<<When it comes down to it, no matter who is singing or playing the music,
whether the musician is well trained or not, whether the music kvetches or
not, if it is felt from the heart, the audience should enjoy it.  Perhaps
we should try listening to the honesty or intention of the interpretation
rather than its authenticity.>>

<<Let's get over what is authentic in style and start listening to the
authenticity of spirit in every form of music.>>

The topic of "authenticity" has gotten a lot of coverage on the Jewish
Music list. A flurry of strongly held opinions recently emerged after I
naively quoted someone else who had used the word "authentic". I consider
that to have been a good thing, because it stimulated some interesting
discussion. I actually tend to agree with your own views on "authenticity",
as stated above. Regarding klezmer clarinet or violin, I did not use the
word "authentic", but rather, the word "idiomatic". And I was not intending
that people have to play idiomatically to be producing good music. I was,
rather, focussing on the skill required to play idiomatically, to contrast
with the word "untrained" that had come up.

Perhaps you'll find this interesting...

A friend of mine named Barney Sherman writes on Early Music and Performance
Practice. On the topic of "authenticity" he concluded one article stating:

"The most important legacy of the historical performance movement may be
those performances that attain authenticity in the deepest sense: that of
conviction, self-knowledge, spontaneity, and emotional honesty."

This is from "Authenticity in Musical Performance" appearing in "The
Encyclopedia of Aesthetics", (Oxford University Press, 1998). You can find
a copy of this and related articles at Barney's website:

http://www.kdsi.net/~sherman/encyclopedia.html

Again, sorry for any misunderstandings.

Matt Jaffey


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